single player

[Oh Chute!]

Originally Posted by viktor94

This is a feature of the new AI.
When you engage the autopilot your plane behaves like AI aircraft.
The Maneuver you discribed is the AI, checking if there are any enemies below the aircraft.
This maneuver is always performed by the last plane of your formation during cruise flight.
If you are the last plane and you engage the autopilot, it will perform this maneuver.

I guess I'll have to accept that as the answer. My problem is that as wingman or flight leader my aircraft performs these 'rapid jinks' maneuvers when I engage autopilot and I'm still in formation. These are not tail-end-charlie positions in the flight.

In one SP mission I'm to escort a flight of FW190's on their bombing mission and every AI FW190 went down before we cleared friendly territory because of these 'jinks'. I had to replay it to get everyone over the target. This is happening more than once.